Director: Ebrahim Hatamikia

Cast: Atila Pesyani, Zlata Plsková, Barbora Bobuľová, Asghar Naghizade

Khakestare Sabz is a 1994 Iranian drama-war film directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia, set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War. An Iranian filmmaker travels to the former Yugoslavia on a research assignment and becomes entangled in a humanitarian search that draws him into the heart of an active conflict zone.

What is Khakestare Sabz about?

Hadi, a young Iranian filmmaker, arrives in Croatia to conduct research on documentary filmmaking. Before departing, his friend Aziz hands him a photograph and a recording, asking him to locate a woman named Fatemeh living somewhere in the region. With the help of Hanifeh, a local woman who speaks Persian, Hadi begins tracing Fatemeh's whereabouts. Croatian authorities detain him over passport complications and ultimately expel him from the country. Undeterred, Hadi and Hanifeh cross into Bosnia, where the search continues — only now they must navigate a war-torn landscape where survival itself is uncertain, and the line between a personal errand and a life-altering ordeal begins to dissolve.

Cast & crew

Ebrahim Hatamikia directs with the moral seriousness that defines his career in Iranian war and social cinema. Atila Pesyani leads as Hadi, bringing quiet intensity to a character caught between obligation and danger. Czech actresses Zlata Plsková and Barbora Bobuľová appear in supporting roles, grounding the film's international setting with credibility. Asghar Naghizade rounds out the principal cast.

Context & significance

Released in 1994, Khakestare Sabz arrived as the Bosnian War was still unfolding — a rare Iranian film that turned its lens outward, toward a Muslim community facing ethnic violence in Europe. For the Iranian diaspora, Hatamikia's decision to set his war narrative outside Iran carries particular resonance: it frames solidarity across borders as a moral imperative rather than a political gesture. The film belongs to a strand of post-revolutionary Iranian cinema that grapples with duty, sacrifice, and the weight of witnessing — themes that travel well across generations and continents.

Where & how to watch

Khakestare Sabz is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. Watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and you can cancel anytime.